Translocation; Excavating the Highland Clearances

Directed by Keir Strickland, this community archaeology project aims to examine the relocations of the Highland Clearances from an explicitly archaeological perspective.

Centred around targeted excavations at Clearance Townships and Crofting resettlement sites in northeast Scotland, this project aims to describe rural settlement in the periods leading up to, during, and following the Highland Clearances.

A successful pilot season at the township of Caen, in Sutherland, saw two weeks of community excavations on a single longhouse that described the rapid and final abandonment of the home, the removal of the structures roof, and the comparatively rich artefactual assemblage – including fragments of a riveted copper whisky still.

University of the Highlands and Islands, UHI, their Gaelic equivalents and the mountains and water device are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the University of the Highlands and Islands. Limited company registered in Scotland No. 148203. Registered Scottish Charity No. SC022228, VAT No. 663990005. A Millennium Commission lottery project.